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Doctor of Education in Higher Education Administration

Program Details

The Ed.D. in Higher Education with a concentration in Community College Administration or Higher Education Administration is the only predominantly online program available within Texas public universities in the program area of higher education. Higher education students come from a variety of fields and types of higher education institutions.

To prepare leaders for the higher education enterprise, the program delivers teaching, research, and professional development services to students, institutions of higher education, and other academic disciplines. Graduates of doctoral degrees in higher education at Texas Tech will be scholarly or theoretical practitioners with the skills and competencies to name, frame, and solve problems of practice using empirical evidence to evaluate impact. The Doctor of Education (Ed. D.) is designed for advanced scholarly practitioners who wish to achieve a superior level of competency in their professional field with emphasis on practice and leadership.

Under the direction of their advisor, students may select a focus in community college administration or general higher education administration. The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) is designed for advanced theoretical practitioners who want to acquire the ability to contribute to the knowledge base of research, education, and leadership through a thorough grounding in the conduct of research. The Ph.D. will prepare students for professional careers as institutional researchers and planners; higher education administrators with an orientation towards research, sponsored programs, or grant proposal writing; program assessment-evaluation specialists; research associates; and faculty members.

The Ph.D. in Higher Education–Higher Education Research also requires 60 credit hours beyond the masters. As part of the credit hour requirements, candidates for both the Ed.D. and the Ph.D. are required to demonstrate proficiency in independent research in higher education culminating in the completion of a dissertation.

Requirements

A master's degree in any discipline from an accredited public or private university with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.

A minimum of three (3) years full-time professional experience in either a public or private two-year or four-year higher education institution or state or federal educational agency serving higher education, or some other organization with a clear connection to higher education. Professional experience is defined as holding a mid-level administrator position (minimum level of coordinator or specialist) or higher in an institution or agency of higher education. Adjunct teaching and work as a student while seeking a degree does not constitute professional, full-time experience. Full-time faculty positions do constitute professional experience.

A clear commitment to enter the administrative ranks of 2- or 4-year institutions of higher education or the university professorate in higher education administration.

Evidence of potential contribution to research, teaching or leadership in higher education as documented by three letters of reference from faculty or administrators in 2- or 4-year institutions of higher education.

Students are required to attend an annual on-campus intensive session during the first full week (Monday - Friday) of the Summer 1 session for each of the first three years of the program.

Accreditation & Licensing

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges

Restrictions

Consent for Contact

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